If you've never heard the phrase "turkey drop" you might think it refers to dropping the turkey as you take it out of the oven or en route to the dinner table. But no — it doesn't refer to a culinary catastrophe, but rather to a relationship disaster. Being "turkey dropped" is being dumped on or around Thanksgiving, and it's actually fairly common. If you're wondering why people break up after Thanksgiving, consider that the holidays can be stressful times for people in terms of traveling and scheduling, people are interacting with their families and therefore subjected to a lot of external opinions, and people might also experience a focusing of priorities towards the end of the year.
Although we just made it through cuffing season, and common sense might indicate that you'd want your cuff around for holiday parties, gift exchanging, and bodily warmth, holiday breakups are a common experience. If your relationship has been strained, the pressure of the holidays can cause tension to snap, or you might also realize that you'd rather spend Thanksgiving with your family and friends instead of your partner. This realization could spell the end of your relationship, but of course — every breakup is a different, sad snowflake. I reached out to real women and asked them to share their Thanksgiving breakup experiences, so pass the pumpkin pie and read on.
I broke up with my partner of two years during Thanksgiving break my freshman year of college, even though we were definitely still in love at the time. It was less about the dynamic of our relationship, and more just related to the timing. Thanksgiving was the perfect moment for me to step back from this relationship and acknowledge that although I was in love, I really wanted to be single, and free to learn more about myself in college. Six Thanksgivings later, I am still really happy I ended things that night. After we broke up, I had so much more time to make new friends, take new classes, and take advantage of all the opportunities my college had to offer.
- Willa, 24
I went to Portland for Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his family. His mom and dad are divorced but we all shared a house and then when it was time to cut the turkey, his dad put on a miner's head lamp and got out and electric saw/turkey cutter — that should have been my first indication that this was never gonna work out. I remember thinking, this is weird, this is very not normal why is everyone acting like this is normal... I also remember us fighting that holiday but I’m not sure why.
- Ruby*, 26
I went to my ex's for Thanksgiving last year and it was the breaking point in our relationship. Things were already rocky between us but a big part was how his family treated me. So at Thanksgiving I realized the relationship couldn't go any further because his family was not welcoming to me and it had been three years. Family is super important to me and if I don't get along with my partner's family, then I know the relationship isn't going to work.
- Isabel, 22
I brought my boyfriend of two years home for Thanksgiving which wasn't that big of a deal because he'd already met my family and everyone got along. We were living together so things were pretty serious, but we also were really young so there was no pressure to move forward. I also wasn't totally sure about him — I didn't love how he treated his mom, he could be kind of distant and superficial. Anyway, on our last day there, in front of my family, he said he wanted to give me my Christmas present early and handed me a jewelry box. I paused, then opened a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. In that moment I realized I was so relieved he didn't propose to me, because we weren't right for each other and all the feelings I'd been ignoring rared up. We broke up soon after that.
- Lily*, 25
If you've been broken up with or ended a relationship on Thanksgiving, you were probably nodding your head along with these women like, "I feel you, girl." If you're considering breaking things off with your partner, perhaps use these stories as motivation or cautionary tales... whatever you need most! Also keep in mind that Thanksgiving is about being grateful for what we have, and getting out of a relationship that's no longer serving you would certainly go on your gratitude list.
